Kitchen Corner

March 24, 2010

I like the bolognese sauce recipe from Jamie Oliver. It's very simple yet delicious! Once the bolognese sauce has cooked, it can be stored in the freezer and use at anytime especially when I feel lazy to cook, so it's good to cook extra. Simply cook some pasta then mix it with the bolognese sauce, job done for my lazy day.

Another way to do is, which I've just realized that bolognese sauce go so well with a cheesy pizza. What I did is just to spread the sauce on a pizza dough and sprinkle all kind of cheeses that I've in the fridge and bake. To add a bit of the goodness for my pizza, I make a whole wheat pizza dough to go with it. The whole wheat pizza dough really surprise me as the crust texture is very delicious and crispy. I make the bolognese sauce a bit spicy as I add in some chili at the earlier stage. So, the crusty whole wheat pizza, the spicy bolognese sauce and all the cheeses... what to say.... simply the best! Recipe for the whole wheat pizza dough: In a mixing bowl, add 100g bread flour, 100g whole wheat flour, 10g caster sugar, half teaspoon of salt, half teaspoon of instant dry yeast and 110g water. Knead all the ingredients until they become a crumbly consistency then add in 10g olive oil. Continue to knead until smooth springy soft dough, cover it with cling film and let it rest for 1 hour. Divide the dough up into two equal portion and roll them into two of 8 inches round baking pan. Let them rest for 15 minutes. Spread the bolognese sauce onto the pizza dough then sprinkle with some freshly grated cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Continue to proof for another 15 minutes. Bake the pizza at lower rack in the oven at 220 preheated oven for 12-15 minutes.

Recipe for the bolognese sauce: Finely slice 2 rashes of smoked streaky bacon, peel and finely chop 2 medium onion, garlic, carrots, celery and a fresh chili. Place a large casserole-type pan on a medium to high heat. Add 2 lugs of olive oil with the sliced bacon and 2 heaped teaspoons dried oregano and cook until bacon is slightly golden. Add the chopped veg to the pan and stir every 30 seconds for around 7 minutes or until softened and lightly colored. Stir in 250g mince beef and 250g mince pork together with 2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes. Fill both empty tins with water and add to the pan. Stir in a good pinch of salt and pepper. Finely chop a small punch basil stalks and stir into the pan. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and simmer with a lid on for about an hour, stirring every now and again to stop it catching. Remove the bolognese sauce from the heat. Finely grate 100 gram parmesan and stir half into the sauce. Tear and stir in any larger basil leaves, keeping the smaller ones for sprinkling over before serving. Mix up everything and taste and season with a little more salt and pepper if needed. At this stage you can allow it to cool, bag it up and freeze it, or eat it straight away with your pasta or pizza.

March 14, 2010

This is very much like soufflé texture and also soft like feather light kind of cheesecake. It is the softest one in my cheesecake menu. My hubby falls in love with soft cheesecake recently as he feels like eating a big piece without adding any calories into his body (which is not true, haha!), but I guess it should be less calories than the rich cheesecake, which also my favorite.

Generally, the cheesecake taste very good, just the marble effect doesn't looks good, I did not make a good job at this stage but will definitely practice again as I want to make another two more in the coming weeks for my friends. For the cake base, I used the cocoa sponge cake recipe which I feel the best in my menu as its soft and spongy texture just so match to the soft cheesecake. I cut the cocoa sponge into three layers and use a piece for the base then freeze another two for next bake.

Beat egg white and cream of tartar in another clean bowl until mixture forms soft peaks. Gradually add in the rest of sugar, continue beating until frothy and stiff peaks form.

Gently fold beaten egg white foam into cheese mixture until blended.

Stir 80g of cheese mixture with cocoa powder until well combined.

Place a sponge cake into a 8 inches lose bottom or spring form baking pan. Pour vanilla cheese mixture into cake tin. Drizzle some cocoa cheese mixture over the surface and draw marble pattern with skewer. Place the baking pan in a large tray.

Pour enough hot water into larger tray to come half way up sides of baking pan. Bake in preheated oven at 140C for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 120C and continue bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and leave to cool. Chill in the fridge for overnight before serve.

March 5, 2010

I made this chocolate brownie many times and I've been waiting for sharing this recipe long time ago but I've always got no chance to take any pictures for sharing. This time, I manage to took a few pictures on this brownie before it sent to my cousin during the CNY. This chocolate brownie is rich, gooey, dense and super chocolaty! Look, it's very simple to make and I took no time for making this but the trick is to make sure don't overcook them, unlike cakes, you don't want a skewer come out all clean. My cousin and all the family members love it.

This classic chocolate brownies have been on the London Fifteen Restaurant's menu till now which is created by the founder, Jamie Oliver, my idol chef. If you're a chocoholics, try this!